


The Tattooed Barista [REBOOT]

by BoBoK



Series: The Tattooed Barista [REBOOT] [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Angst, F/M, Yakuza AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:15:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25103791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoBoK/pseuds/BoBoK
Summary: AU: This universe takes place 1 year after the events in the game. However, instead of the large group that Ren Amamiya had taken with him to the metaverse, his thieving acts were only committed by him and his trusty cat-human, Morgana. He was able to commit his perfect crimes, brushing underneath the noses of the investigators Goro Akechi and Sae Niijima and getting away scot-free. During his time as a phantom thief, in order to change Kaneshiro’s heart, he joined the Yakuza, with help from Iwai. After the change of the public’s heart, he decided to stay in Shibuya and resided in the attic of Sojiro for another whole year, working as a barista and co-owner of Leblanc. Everything seems well, he is no longer having troubles being with the Yakuza, he’s doing decently in school, the Phantom Thieves have died down, and his affiliations with both parties remain completely unknown.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: The Tattooed Barista [REBOOT] [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818175
Comments: 9
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! I'm finally deciding to stop being lazy and bring y'all back some content! This originally was my first series I ever wrote. One year goes by since I posted it and I hated it-so now it is reboot time! I want to do it justice this time. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy and like the series, this is merely the pilot but I am hoping on getting more content out!

**_5/11 – Post-Phantom Thieves Era_ **

**_Cafe LeBlanc_ **

**_Evening_ **

He sighed softly as he continued to wipe down the counter, knowing that closing time was coming soon. The rain was beating down hard, the streets nearly flooded. He mumbled to himself, “Hopefully no one is caught out in that storm…” 

It was almost as if he predicted the upcoming future, the bell to the door ringing as a young teenage woman wearing a teal peacoat and a pair of dark blue jeans, with black doc martens on her feet rushed inside. He immediately recognized her due to her reddish eyes and chestnut brown hair, Makoto Niijima. His old study partner from his second year of Shujin.

“Avoiding the storm?” He questioned, raising an eyebrow as she sat down frustratedly in the middle booth, slipping off her backpack and pulling out textbooks, notebooks, and binders. 

She nodded, pulling out a pen and getting to work. 

“Diligent as always, Niijima-Senpai.” He whispered quietly to himself before speaking up. “May I get you something to drink? Possibly something to eat, ma’am?” 

Makoto paused and thought to herself. “I would like a Blue Mountain House, please.” She answered, quickly going back to her work. 

He nodded and quickly began brewing, making it to the absolute best of his possibilities. He took the cup and stepped out from behind the bar, walking over to her table and setting it on the corner. “Here.” He said with a small grin, bowing his head slightly.

She paused her labor and nodded, turning to him to thank him. “Thank you kindly, mister.” She said, noticing the unkempt black hair, the oversized glasses, the slim figure, and  _ that grin. _ “Oh! Amamiya-kun!” She said, sounding almost excited to see him, which certainly caught him off guard.

“Niijima-Senpai.” He said with a small bow of his head once more. He walked back around the bar and stood behind it, engaging in conversation. “I’m assuming you’re in law school now?” He asked, breaking the ice.

“I am. While it is very enjoyable, it’s also very draining.” She said with a small sigh, putting a knuckle up to her chin as she engaged in thought, the recollections of their study sessions coming back to her. “You’re a third year now, right? How is Shujin still treating you?” She asked, setting the pen down and taking a drink of the coffee, humming in approval to herself before she resumed her work. 

He sighed softly and nodded. “Yes. Still attending Shujin.” He replied, resting his forearm on the tabletop, resting his other arm parallel to it. “It’s…” He paused, getting choked up. “Well. I’m still known as the ‘transfer student with a criminal record’.” He said, frowning. “But I’m studying as hard as ever.” He shrugged, pushing himself off of the tabletop.

Makoto frowned, “I’m… sorry about that.” She admitted, taking another small sip of coffee, setting the cup back on the small platter. “I can’t believe they still treat you that way. Didn’t that guy confess that he wronged you? The whole Phantom Thief conundrum.” She said, her interest in the group sparking as she began to monologue. “Changing of hearts, corrupted desires, it’s all so strange.” 

Ren choked up as she spoke that forgotten name. It was a year since his crimes were lifted, but he knew no one at Shujin cared. He saw her interest was piqued by his alternate self. He held in everything he was going to say, his face turning a dark red as he was caught off guard and flustered by the sudden memories that flooded him. 

“What are your thoughts about the-“ She paused, seeing his face glow red like a tomato. “Are you okay?” She asked a slight bit of concern in her voice. 

“Yeah!” He scoffed “I’m fine.” He said, immediately regaining his composure, his face still a light tint of red. “Apologies. You may have just sent me down memory lane with that whole Phantom Thief ordeal.” He said with a quiet chuckle. “It simply reminded me of how much you helped me with studying, Niijima-Senpai.” 

“Mmhm…” She hummed, her knuckle returning to her chin as she watched him with a cocked brow. She was about to speak when the chimes of a large grandfather clock struck, making her let out a small squeak

_ Cute _

Ren heard the clock and turned towards the door, seeing how it was still a damn near monsoon outside. He nodded slowly in understanding as he slipped off his apron, hanging it up. “The Cafe is closed but please feel free to stay and study.” He said, walking from out behind the bar and quickly stepping outside to flip the sign, walking back in, adjusting his glasses as he does so. “Besides, I’m not letting you walk out there at this time. Sorry.” He said with a slight chuckle.

Makoto nodded. “Thank you for allowing me to stay, Amamiya-kun.” She said with a small smile. She grabbed her pen and quickly went back to work, breezing through pretty much every problem in the rather thick packet. She paused as he walked out and back in. “What are you, my Sis?” She asked, Ren unable to differentiate whether she was kidding or not. 

“Boss’s first rule: treat your customer as your family.” He said, pulling one of the barstools to the head of the table she sat at, sitting down as he rested his hands in his lap. “And if I had one, I wouldn’t let my dad walk out there… or something.” He quickly shied away from the topic, knowing he may have gotten a bit too personal. 

Makoto nodded, going quiet as she finished just a few more problems before dropping the pen and shutting the textbook, stretching her arms above her head with a long sigh of relief. “It is complete!” She said with a satisfied smirk, packing her stuff up in her backpack and setting it down by her feet.

He noticed her quick and hasty work, growing a bit envious as he wished he could work that fast. “Damn…” He muttered subconsciously, earning him a side-glare from Makoto. His eyes went wide and he raised his hands with his palms out. “I admit! I’m just… jealous is all.” He said with a frown as he slouched back down. “I find studying so much more difficult now.”

She grinned as he tensed up and admitted his envy, feeling proud she had made him react subconsciously with how well she was performing. “Do you know why that is?” She asked in regards to his study troubles, genuinely curious.

Ren stopped for a second,  _ that grin  _ spreading across his face as he answered. “I don’t have you to impress.” He said with a quiet and coy laugh. “Nor do I have you to help me out, which is probably the most logical answer.” 

Makoto’s face burned a light red as he spoke, but soon simmered down when he clarified it was most likely due to the lack of tutoring. “Don’t you have any others you can study with?” She asked, looking over at him as she took the final drink of her coffee.

His devious grin turned into a whole-hearted smile as he saw her face grow red. He raised an eyebrow and took the empty cup and platter, carrying them back behind the bar and washing them, once finished he returned to his seat and sighed “If you can count my cat as a friend.” He said, shrugging shortly afterward. 

Her face fell into a small frown as he broke the news to her. “I… Apologize.”

He shook his head, waving the apology off with his hand. “No need. It’s not like you should’ve attended Shujin for a fourth year just to be my friend, you’ve got a future ahead of you, Miss Prez.” 

She nodded slowly, understanding of the deflection. “Now you’re really starting to sound like my sister…” She said quietly, looking back up at him. “And what do you plan on doing?” 

He shrugged, “I’ll probably just work here and continue to reside in my little bungalow.” 

“You have a house?” 

His face fell. “Sort of.” 

She frowned at the sad look on his face, “Where is it? If you do not mind me asking, of course. ” 

“The attic of this place.” He admitted, pointing to the stairwell that was in the back of LeBlanc. “I can show you it if you want.” 

Her frown grew larger.  _ He’s been living in an attic for two years?  _ She pondered the thought, zoning out as she thought of all the time he had to spend cooped up in a small cafe attic. She snapped out of it and shrugged. “If it’s alright with you.” 

He nodded and stood up, picking up the bar stool and putting it back in its respective place. He gestured with his head for her to follow, waiting until after she scooched out of the booth before he went up. As the two came up to his room, Makoto saw what this ‘delinquent’ was dealing with. It was empty, barren even. She frowned as she noticed no decorations except a half dying plant, the entire canvas of the room having to be only browns with exception to the green from said plant. She noticed his bed was a simple comforter on top of a few crates with very thin and small blankets. However, his bookshelf piqued her interest, walking over and looking at some of the books. She noticed that majority were about famous thieves and the Yakuza. The Yakuza books caught her interest.

“Interesting collection of books.” She whispered to herself before standing up straight and looking over at him, her sad expression returning. “I’m sorry.” 

He raised an eyebrow as she went to examine the books, noticing Morgana still asleep on the couch. “Sorry for….?” He asked, looking back at her.

“Are you aware of how empty and dusty this place is? It’s no place for a highschooler to live- And you’ve lived here for  _ two  _ years. I mean you don’t even have a bed!” She said, gesturing to the crates he slept on.

He frowned and shook his head. “As bland as it is. It’s the only place I find saf-” Until something cut him off. 

There was a bright flash of white, which was followed by all the lights power going out. Ren was used to this sort of stuff by now, but he remembered that someone was there with him when he heard a loud yelp and felt something clinging to his side. 

He stopped and looked down to see Makoto was at his side, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist with the side of her head pressed against his shoulder. 

“Scared of storms?” He asked, speaking in a hushed and calming tone. 

She simply nodded, removing her arms from around him. “I’m really sorry about all of this.” She pouted, bashing herself mentally for being so jumpy at times like these, knowing full well she just made a fool of herself infront of him. 

He shrugged, “Remember rule number one.” He paused, gently resting a hand on her shoulder in order to not scare her too bad. “Here.” He said, guiding her to his couch and taking a seat, allowing her to sit by him, Morgana at the very end of the couch  _ still asleep, miraculously _ . He hesitated at first and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “If it comforts you, you can still hold on to me.” He said quietly, glad that the darkness hid the dark crimson that coated his face.

She felt a swell of relief knowing he wasn’t upset or freaked out by her outburst. She sat in silence as he spoke, her eyes going wide and her face growing a dark red as she felt his arm around her shoulder, taking a deep breath before she pushed up against him, her head resting back against his bicep. “Thank you, Amamiya-kun.” She shuffled slightly, trying to find a comfortable spot for her head. ‘ _ He’s oddly muscular...’  _ She thought to herself. __

“I understand. I’m pretty afraid of nights like these as well.” Ren broke the short silence between the two, he wasn’t exactly scared of these nights but he did whatever he could to comfort her.

“So I guess this is nice for you too,” Makoto said quietly, closing her eyes as she let her head fall on his shoulder. 

Ren nodded and hummed a small “Mmhm.” But this time it was not a lie, Ren had adored being next to her and holding her like this. Needless to say, he had a slight crush when they were studying together. 

“Hey, Amamiya-kun,” Makoto said in her quiet and curious tone, which Ren immediately knew a question was coming his way. “When I started talking about the Phantom Thieves, you got all choked up. Why is that?” 

Ren froze, Makoto noting that his body had gone stiff and tensed up slightly. “Well. It just caught me off guard was all.”

“Why is that?” She pushed, her curiosity growing stronger and stronger, as evident by her sitting up and looking at him with a 

Ren sighed and looked down at his feet, shrugging. “I dunno. It brings me memories of Kamoshida.” 

_ That’s right, Ren and Kamoshida had quite the rivalry.  _ She thought, remembering the time Ren had stepped between her and the gym teacher, which earned him a literal beat down, Kamoshida tackling Ren to the ground of his office and wailing out on him in pure rage. She remembered Ren’s exact words at that moment. 

  
  


_ “Niijima-Senpai! Run!” She heard him on the ground screaming as she turned and took off, only to see Kamoshida walk out of the office and shortly after him, a bloody and bruised Amamiya.  _

  
  


She was brought back out of her flashback when she looked up at him, seeing a small trace of ink on the lower portion of his neck, barely illuminated by the dimly lit room. “I didn’t know you had a tattoo...” She said, raising her head off of his shoulder in attempts to get a better look at it.

Ren’s eyes went wide as he tugged on his collar to cover the small black line, letting out a quiet “Yeah, it’s nothing, though.” Which was good enough for Makoto, she hummed as she backed off for the time being

Makoto was about to ask if she were able to take a look when the lights suddenly returned, the bright glow of his attic nearly blinding the two. “Ah good, the power is back.” He said, removing his arm from around Makoto, which in all honest, she really wished he didn’t. 

“Yeah… It probably means the storm is lightening up.” She said, standing up and brushing herself off, walking over to the window to see that the wind had died down and now it was a simple drizzle. 

He stood up after her, heading towards the stairs. “Here, I’ll walk you to the subway.” He said with a small smile as he walked down the stairs, hearing her follow shortly after him. He reached under the booth and grabbed her backpack, handing it over to her as he went for the door. “The station is near, so we can just run for it.” 

Makoto followed him down the stairs, noticing hints and traces of colors just below the nape of his neck. ‘ _ A tattoo on the back of his neck? Only the Yakuza get those… People don’t want to be caught dead appearing to be Yakuza anymore.’  _ She thought to herself, bowing her head in thanks as she grabbed her backpack.

Ren nodded and opened the door, gesturing for her to follow him as he sped walk through the streets, his white shirt soaking and sticking to his skin and his hair falling over his face. As the shirt grew damper and damper, the more see-through it became. Makoto quickly noticed the sprawls of colors on both of his shoulders, wrapping around to his biceps and up to his collar where she noticed the slight traces of colors. Both tattoos had a similar color scale, the Oni on his right bicep was a beautiful mixture of red and blue coloring, very bright and beautiful oranges and yellows sprinkled in for added flair, and on his left bicep and shoulder was a large samurai figure with a sword held in front of his face, holding it as if he was paying respects to a fallen comrade, decorated in vivid blue with red linings along with silver and white. 

“Um... Amamiya-kun,” Makoto said, her tone was a mixture of worry and curiosity. “What exactly are those tattoos on your back?” 

He froze.

_ ‘Shit, Shit, Shit, What do I tell her? The truth? No, I’m not close enough to tell any secrets. But I know she wouldn’t tell anyone in fear for her life, but I also don’t want her to be scared of me.’  _ He mentally screamed.

He was lost in thought, standing still as the rain pelted him, Makoto quickly drifting off to the side and taking cover under a building from the rain, noticing he hadn’t moved an inch since she brought it up.

“Amamiya-kun?” She asked again, knocking him out of his daze.

_ ‘What do I do!?’  _ He internally screamed again, his hand shaking in fear. “Go straight and take your next right, you’ll be at the subway.” He said, just barely loud enough for her to hear his directions.

“Amamiya-kun! What exactly are those tat-” And before she could finish her sentence, he turned and briskly stomped past her and back into Leblanc.

_‘That isn’t suspicious at all.’_ She thought to herself. ‘ _But he did give me directions to the station._ Suddenly it struck her. ‘ _But those tattoos. An Oni and a Samurai, on his shoulders and biceps. Those are Yakuza! Don’t tell me… he is truly a delinquent!’_ Makoto thought, sighing softly. She just wanted out of the rain now, a raindrop striking her skin every now and then. She mumbled under her breath, remembering that she forgot her coat. “Curses.” She muttered before running towards the subway, catching the last train to her district. 

Makoto had a lot to think about.  _ A lot... _


	2. Irezumi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irezumi are the marks of those who are spiritually connected with their ancestors and their deities. 
> 
> They are also the marks of criminals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter is out! 
> 
> Hopefully you all enjoy it~
> 
> For the best immersion and enjoyment, read the first section to this song~ ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS6dhZc6uac

**_7/8 – Phantom Thief Era_ **

_Rain slammed down on the streets of Shibuya._

_He sprinted as fast as he could through the pouring rain, his clothes, and hair all soaking wet. He breathed heavily as he ran, wheezing now and then. He turned and disappeared into an empty parking garage, quickly throwing himself under one of the cars._

_He grabbed the gas-line and bit into it, tearing it open with his teeth, letting the gasoline from the car fall across his face and his wet clothes._

_In the distance, he could hear the sound of chains being tugged at and the barking of dogs._

_He took deep breaths and began to catch his breath, trying to prevent himself from coughing or making too much noise._

_“Where the hell is he!?” He heard a man scream as the bright beams of flashlights began to shoot throughout the parking garage._

_“I don’t know! He just up and vanished!! Even the mutts are confused!” Another man replied._

_“Tch. He isn’t a phantom, you idiots.” One final man said._

_Ren knew the voice, it was none other than Junya Kaneshiro._

_Ren bit his tongue and kept his mouth shut. He held his breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the paws of dogs and three men all begin to pace and search the parking lot._

_He kept his eyes on all of them until they split up, then he could only keep two in his vision._

_His eyes darted around the floor of the parking garage, he had no clue where the other man had gone. His heartbeat began to slam against his chest, it was so loud he could hear it. It made his head hurt._

_Dread began to build as he continuously searched for the third man, completely unable to find him. He only heard the sounds of footsteps all around him._

_He had gotten so worked up, he forgot that he was holding his breath. He slowly exhaled and quietly, timing his breaths with each step of the men._

_Suddenly, he lost sight of all three men and it went quiet… Eerily quiet._

_Ren kept the side of his face planted firmly against the concrete and kept as flat to the ground as he could, as silent as he could._

_“Boss. He ain’t here!” He finally heard one of the men say._

_“No, no… He’s here….” The boss replied._

_Ren clenched his teeth and tightened his lips. How long was he going to be in this damn gas puddle?_

_Finally, he saw the beams of lights begin to dip low, sweeping underneath the cars across the lot._

_“Search under the cars.” One of the men said._

_“Y’ smell that?” The other asked_

_“Yeah… Gasoline.”_

_Ren’s eyes widened as he saw the boss standing at the entrance where he came in, while the other two men began to go down the line of cars from the opposite end of the garage. Ren quickly and quietly slipped out from under the car and began moving around the perimeter of the garage, hiding behind large cement pillars to avoid the flashlights._

_He narrowly dodged and weaved around the men as they finally reached the car he was originally under, the two of them noticing the gas-line was cut. “Oh yeah, he’s here alright.”_

_“Come out, come out, Thief!” One of the men called out as Ren pressed his back against a large cement pillar, his palms flat against the cold concrete._

_He clenched his eyes shut and swallowed, he felt the oxygen leave his lungs. He wanted to cry. He wanted to escape. He wanted to just be a normal kid, just a normal teenage boy. Why was he subjected to this?_

_Ren heard a set of footsteps approach the pillar he was standing behind, a beam of light being shot right past the barrier. He held his breath and his whole body shook, his blood freezing over as he heard all three men’s footsteps begin to approach the pillar._

  
  


**_5/12 – Post-Phantom Thief Era_ **

Ren woke up early in the morning, the sun barely scraping over the horizon.

He first slipped on his pants and his white collared shirt and went downstairs, grabbing a coffee for himself before he went back up

Ren grabbed his backpack and slipped on his black blazer, which still had a slight stench of gasoline, and slipped it over him. He sprayed cologne over himself to mask the smell and he slipped his glasses on, heading out the door.

He caught one of the first trains and he found himself at Shujin Academy in no time. It was finally the mid-terms and he felt somewhat ready. 

As he entered class, he took his seat in the back corner of the room, staring out the window as all of the tests were handed out. It was raining, again. He wondered when the rain would ever let up, it was pouring the night prior and it was pouring once more.

_‘I’ll tell her that these tattoos are not gang-related, and are simply done because it was cultural to my hometown. My old family used to be martyrs and fought against what they thought was a corrupted governor, therefore in their honor, I got these tattoos.’_ He thought and planned in his head. He began to go down the path, building a story, building characters that he could consider his ‘family’ and ‘ancestors.’ He built backstories for them, he formulated what kind of tattoos each of them had, what their reasons were, how they treated their family, their economic situations. He crafted a whole family, an entire lie. 

“You may want to hurry up, Amamiya-Kun.” The teacher said. “You only have twenty minutes.”

He was startled and he realized he hadn’t answered a single question. Quickly, his eyes darted from left to right across the paper, taking in and analyzing the information. He began to scribble down answers and raced against the clock. 

Finally, the bell rang, and he continued the same painful process for the rest of his classes.

  
  
  


Makoto couldn’t focus in class. She watched the teacher pace back and forth, reading straight from the book and pointing up to the whiteboard as she described laws and the loopholes surrounding them. Loopholes that prosecutors and attorneys look for to best help their case.

It wasn’t to say that Makoto wasn’t fascinated with these laws and the complex systems that made them up. She just had something more important on her mind.

The tattoos of Ren Amamiya.

Finally, after class had ended, she began to head for the hallway until she was stopped by the professor.

“Miss Niijima!” 

Makoto stopped and turned to the teacher, “O-Oh! Erm… Yes, Ms. Fujikawa?” A bit surprised that she was stopped.

“I noticed you were not entirely engaged in class today… Is something the matter?” Professor Fujikawa asked.

“Well....” Makoto began to ponder, does she mention Ren? No… That’d be bad for him and his well-being, and she shouldn’t make assumptions. “Do you… know the history of tattoos?”

Fujikawa pulled her head back and shot Makoto a somewhat confused look before it settled down and she smiled slightly. “I do.”

“Would you mind telling me a bit about them?” 

“Of course, dear.” Professor Fujikawa said as she gestured to her desk and the chair in front of it. “Sit.” She said as she circled the desk and took a seat. 

“First off, they’re called Irezumi.” She started. “They were originally made for spiritually and religious reasons back as far as 10,000 B.C. However, the date is unclear and researchers of course can’t seem to agree on the exact date they began.

“As Japan entered the Yayoi era, Tattoos were sought after by Chinese visitors for the spiritual energy that seemed to be attached to them. It wasn’t until the Kofun period where tattoos began to grow a negative connotation like they do today. 

“It was during this time that prisoners and criminals of all offenses were tattooed–labeled if you will. This is when criminal organizations and families began to take these tattoos as symbols of honor. They then began to fluctuate symbols, ranging from small fads to sex-appeal. Big, small, bright, dark, all tattoos don’t exactly mean criminals, but they are widely associated with the Yakuza; even though the Yakuza tend to stray away from tattooing themselves.” 

Makoto hummed as she thought about the information. It comforted her to know that tattoos didn’t immediately mean the person with them was a bad person. Ren wasn’t a bad guy and Makoto was sure of it. He most likely got it because he wanted to fit in as the ‘rebellious delinquent’ at school. He probably even got a few girlfriends because of it. Makoto’s brow furrowed at the thought of him dating a girl, but she didn’t understand why she was upset about the thought of that. Why was it any of her business? Exactly, it isn’t.

“Why were you so hyper fixated on these tattoos?” Fujikawa asked.

“Hm? Oh! I just noticed that one of my old-time friends that I just saw recently had them. I feared it was because he was getting himself into some trouble… But now I just know that was my head toying with me.” 

“What were these tattoos of?” The professor questioned.

“I couldn’t fully make them out… But they were bright and one looked as if it were some sort of warrior, a samurai, or a shinobi… I’m not entirely sure. And then the other was some frightening creature with large fangs and angry eyes. It almost looked like an-”

“An oni.” Fujikawa finished. “Well… The Samurai is supposed to mean honor, courage, and loyalty. At least in the Yakuza, it is, but the same could be said for families and just in general. Is he an honorable-type guy?”

Makoto paused and thought of all the times he got in between her and Kamoshida, and the numerous times he was in the nurse’s office with bruises and cuts from his other interferences with the gym coach. “Yes. I’d say he is.”

“Well, he’s probably just upholding himself to those standards. As for the Oni…” She trailed off. “An Oni is seen as the punisher… A dealer of justice, if you will.” She said. “Any explanation for that?”

Makoto shook her head. “No… He’s so peaceful and conceited most of the time. I couldn’t see him even hurting a fly. Not to mention that his best friend is a cat!” 

“Peculiar,” Fujikawa said to herself. “Well, Makoto. Do you have any more questions for me?”

Makoto shook her head and bowed. “No. Thank you, though. I sincerely apologize for dozing off during class.” 

“Just be sure to keep your mind clear when in class. We’re getting into the complexities of the law, this unit. So be wary.” Fujikawa warned as Makoto turned and left the classroom. 

  
  


Ren was in the process of cleaning off the counter-top with a wet rag when he heard the bell of the door open, the person walking in was none other than Makoto Niijima. At her sight, Ren cursed under his breath and held his head slightly lower, mainly to avoid eye contact. He had his full lie planned out, he was ready for any question, any speculation, her interrogation would not crack him. 

He watched her take a seat in the same stall she did the night prior, beginning to get to work on her study material. She wouldn’t confront him about what had transpired last night since there were still customers in Leblanc, but it was clear that she’d wait however long to talk to him in peace and quiet. 

Only ten minutes went by, and while Ren was passing her table to deliver coffee and curry to an elderly couple in the booth behind her, he heard Makoto clear her throat as he passed; trying to capture his attention. He quickly delivered the food and drinks to the couple and stepped up to Makoto’s table, where she was still staring down at her papers. 

“It’s been eleven minutes and I still haven’t received service.” She said as she looked up at him. “Isn’t it bad for business to leave a customer waiting?” Makoto questioned.

Ren was baffled and confused. Was she trying to tease him? Was she genuinely upset? Did she know about him and his past? He blinked and stared blankly at her. 

Makoto must’ve realized her tone came off as dry and critical, her face immediately growing red as she looked back down at her papers with a bashful smile, “I-I’m only kidding, don’t look so freaked out!” She said with a small snicker.

Relief flooded Ren as he let out a sigh. “Of course. I apologize, Niijima-senpai. Would you like some Blue Mountain Coffee again?”

Makoto hummed and nodded. “I’d love it.”

Ren grinned and nodded as he went behind the counter to make her some coffee. 

The rest of the evening was relatively simple and stress-free for Ren, as he was able to keep himself busy with the customers coming in and out. He made sure to refill Makoto’s coffee whenever he noticed she was low on coffee.

However, the closing time had come and everybody except ever diligent Makoto Niijima and Ren Amamiya were the last two left in the Cafe. 

Ren turned the sign on the door and walked back to the counter, hanging up his apron and making himself a cup of coffee, sitting across from Makoto with his mug in his hands. He was hardly able to take a single sip before Makoto asked him,

“So. What are those tattoos on your back?” 


End file.
